Would you turn to John chapter
12? I've entitled this sermon, Christ's
Final Message. Christ's Final Message. In verse 36, we have the end
of the public ministry of our Lord. Verse 36, while you have
light, believe in the light that you may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus and
departed. And did hide himself. from them. Now, this is our Lord's
last public sermon. And after this, he actually hid
himself from the people that he'd been speaking to. His public
ministry was over. And what a solemn way for it
to end. He did hide himself. I sure don't want him to hide
himself from me. But he hid himself from these people. And chapter
13 is the Lord's final message to his disciples. Verse one,
now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour
was come, that he should depart out of this world unto the father,
having loved his own, which were in the world, he loved them to
the end. And between chapter 13 and chapter 17, we have this special time where our Lord
gives his final address to his disciples. Now, in between those
two times, the end of his public ministry and the beginning of
this final address to his disciples, we have John chapter 12, verses
37 through 50, and it is a parenthesis between the end of the Lord's
public ministry and his final message to his disciples. In
verses 37 through 43, he gives the response of all men by nature
to the ministry, the public ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ, the
preaching of the gospel. Now here is men's response. We've
looked at this the last couple of weeks. Verse 37. But though
he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed
not on him. That the saying of Isaiah the
prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed
our report? And to whom hath the arm of the
Lord been revealed? Therefore they could not believe.
They lacked the ability to believe. They were powerless to believe. would not believe and they could
not believe. That's an act of God's justice
and judgment against them. You know, the Lord can turn the
lights out as an act of His judgment where a man cannot believe. Verse 39, therefore they could
not believe because that Isaiah said again, he, God had blinded
their eyes and hardened their heart that they should not see
with their eyes nor understand with their heart and be converted
and I should heal them. These things said Isaiah when
he saw his glory and spake of him. Now here's the natural man's
first response to the gospel. They don't believe. They just
do not believe. Verse 42, nevertheless, here's
the second response. Among the chief rulers, also
many believed on him, but because of the Pharisees, they did not
confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue,
for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. There were people who had a type
of faith that was not saving faith. They believed, but they
would not confess. And we saw last week that if
I believe and I do not confess, it's because I just am giving
assent to something. There's no saving faith involved.
So here's the response of every natural man to the truth. Either
I don't believe or it's just assent to some facts, but it
hadn't really done anything for me. That's the response of every
natural man to the gospel. This is Christ's final message. Look in verse 44. Jesus cried
and said. Now who's he speaking to? We
see that his public ministry had already ended. He hid himself
from these people. And He had not yet begun to speak
to His disciples in chapter 13, that last message to His disciples. So, who is the Lord speaking
to at this time? You know, this is so merciful on the Lord's
part. He's addressing man's unbelief once again. Now, these people
didn't deserve to hear another word from the Lord. They didn't
believe Him. They rejected His gospel. And the ones who did
believe, it didn't mean anything to them because they wouldn't
confess. They just gave their sin to some facts. Yet the Lord
in His mercy addresses them again. That's why I read that passage
of Scripture at the beginning of this message. God beseeching
us. Isn't that an amazing thought?
That God would take someone who's so unworthy, so unbelieving,
so confirmed in their unbelief and yet beseech them again. I, I'm just amazed by that. He'll beseech that person. And
this is our Lord's final word to man's unbelief. I'm so grateful. He gave a word like this. What a mercy. That He has something
to say to people who are so undeserving of anything. People who would
not believe. That's what it says about Him. They would not believe.
They could not believe. People who cared more about what
men think than what God thinks. He would be just if He left them
alone, but He doesn't. He gives another word. Now, this is Christ's final message. And I was thinking about this.
You know, this could be the final message I'll hear. either because
the Lord kills me or maybe in this thing of hearing. This is
why it's a dangerous thing to hear the gospel. It's a dangerous
thing. Watch out. You might have ears to hear.
You might not always. That's a solemn thought, isn't it? He
that hath ears to hear, let him hear. This may be the last message
you ever hear, either by way of death or because you no longer
have ears to hear. You know, God can blind you as
an act of his justice. And I pray that God will give
every person in this room hearing ears this morning. And something
else I pray, if nobody else hears, I pray that I do. I want to hear,
don't you? He that hath ears to hear, let
him hear. This is Christ's final message. Look in verse 44. Jesus cried. You know, the Scripture says
regarding Him, He shall not cry, nor strive, nor cause His voice
to be heard in the streets. You know, when the Lord preached,
He didn't do the way so many preachers do, go back and forth
ranting and raving and yelling and screaming. No, He was very
quiet. His voice was so powerful it would wake the dead. But this
is not something He did very often. Jesus cried. He cried,
My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? He cried, it is
finished. He cried, if any man thirst,
let him come to me. But this is not something our
Lord did very often. Jesus cried. In Mark chapter 15, verse 39,
we read, and when the centurion which stood over against him
saw that he so cried out, he said, truly, this man was the
Son of God. There's something special about
his cry, isn't there? At Centurion, he was a murderer of the Lord
Jesus Christ. He was used in this thing of killing Christ.
When he heard this cry, he said, truly, this was the Son of God
who cried like this. There's something special and
powerful when he cries. This is the cry of the one who
has the voice of many waters. The one whose voice could raise
the dead. He cried so as to be heard. Now he says in verse 44, Jesus
cried in response to man's unbelief. And here's his merciful message. He that believeth on me. Now
you're not believing. Here's what you're doing. He
that believeth on me, believeth not on me. but on him that sent
me. Now he's saying, believing on
me and believing on God are one and the same thing. And when
you don't believe me, you do not believe God. Seeing me is
seeing God as well. He is declaring his oneness,
his unity with the father. I and my father are one, so do
not believe on him. is to not believe on God. To
not see Him is to not see God. Look over in John chapter 14
for a moment, verse 7. If you had known me, you should
have known my Father also. And from henceforth you know
Him, and have seen Him. Philip saith unto Him, Lord,
show us the Father, and we'll be satisfied, it sufficeth us.
Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you? And yet
hast thou not known me, Philip? He that hath seen me hath seen
the Father. How sayest thou, show us the
Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father
in me? The words that I speak unto you,
I speak not of myself, but the Father that dwelleth in me. He
doeth the works, believe me, that I am in the Father, and
the Father in me, or else believe me for the very works sake."
Now he's saying to these people who did not believe the gospel,
he's saying, I'm God. And if you don't believe me,
you don't believe God. That's the enormity of the sin
of unbelief. Now look back in our text in
John chapter 12 verse 46. He says, I am come a light into
the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. If you don't believe on me, you're
abiding in darkness. I've come as a light into the
world. That's my purpose in coming, to come as a light in the world. Now, what's he talking about
when he's talking about him being a light in the world? Well, look back
in John chapter 8. I see more and more of the significance
of this passage of Scripture. John chapter 8, verse 12. Now,
this is how he's a light in the world. Look at verse 12. Then
spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the
world. He that followeth me shall not
walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. Now how is
it that he's a light into the world? It's all seen in the previous
story. Look at verse 2 of John chapter
8. And early in the morning he came
again into the temple, and all the people came unto him, and
he sat down and taught them. And the scribes and Pharisees
brought unto him a woman taken in adultery. And when they'd
set her in the midst, they said unto him, master, this woman
was taken in adultery in the very act. I mean, this is not,
he said, she said, we caught her. She's guilty. That's settled. Now, Moses in the law, commanded
us that such should be stoned. But what sayest thou? This they said, tempting him
that they might have to accuse him. Adultery is a great sin. It really is. You know, somebody
that breaks the covenant of marriage, according to God's Word, they
were to be stoned. Does somebody deserve to be stoned
if they commit adultery? Yes, they do. Yes, they do. Now, the Pharisees thought, we
have the Lord tracked. He talks about being merciful
to sinners. If he lets this woman go, she was caught in the very
act. If he lets this woman go, where is his integrity? Where is his respect for the
Word of God? The Bible says this woman's to
be stoned, and we've got him trapped. If he says, stoner,
we can say, where's your mercy? You talk about being merciful
to sinners. If he says, let her go, then we can say, ah, you
don't have any respect for the Word of God because the Word
of God says stoner. We have him trapped. I think
it's so funny that these idiots thought they could entrap omniscience. But Jesus, verse 6, stooped down
with his finger and wrote on the ground as though he heard
them not. Now, I've told you this before.
I think I've got a pretty good guess as to what he's writing.
People have debated about it. What was he writing? uh... this is speculation but
i think it's pretty good speculation i think he was writing it thou
shalt not commit adultery you know the bible doesn't tell
other people what to do it only tells you what to do thou shalt
not commit adultery and i have no doubt in my mind that these
men were guilty of this sin. If they didn't do it physically,
they did it in their heart. And the scripture says, whosoever
looketh upon a woman to lust after her in his heart hath committed
adultery with her already. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Somebody else has suggested he
was writing names and dates. Could have been. Verse seven, so when they continued
asking him, he lifted up himself and said unto them, he that is
without sin among you. And I believe he's talking about
this sin. this particular sin. He didn't say have mercy on her,
he said that one that hadn't sinned, let him throw the first
rock, let him first cast a stone. Verse 8, and again he stooped
down and wrote on the ground. There's only two times in the
Bible where we read of the finger of God writing something. One
is when he wrote the commandments. Scripture says the finger of
God wrote those commandments. And the other is in the book
of Daniel, where the finger writes on the wall, thou art weighed
in the balances and found wanting. I believe maybe the second time
he stooped, that's what he was writing. Thou art weighed in
the balances and found wanting." That is the finger of God rotting
in the sand, isn't it? Verse 9, And they which heard
it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one
by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last. And Jesus
was left alone and the woman standing in the midst. Now, this
woman hadn't said anything up to this point. Can you imagine
how humiliated she was? They drag her in publicly. How'd
they know about it? I reckon they, I think it was
a set up. I think they set this up. They were doing this in order
to attract the Lord. But can you imagine how embarrassed,
humiliated this woman was, being exposed, being caught. And look
what he says to her. When Jesus had lifted up himself
and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Where are those
thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee? She said, no man, Lord. And Jesus
said unto her, neither do I condemn thee. Now, he didn't say, I forgive you,
did he? He said, I do not condemn you.
How can that be that he doesn't condemn? She was guilty. She
was caught red-handed and yet he said, I do not condemn me. How? Because he's speaking to
her on resurrection ground. You see, we read of two stoops. Our Lord had two stoops. One,
the stoop of the incarnation when He was made flesh. God became
flesh and in the flesh He kept the law. And then we read of
another stoop. He stooped twice and rode on
the ground. Remember? There was another stoop. That was His stoop
on the cross when He was made sin. And now He speaks to this
woman on resurrection ground, I don't condemn you because there's
nothing to condemn you for. The only way he can say I don't
condemn you is if there's nothing to condemn me for. It's called
justification. I am everybody Christ died for
is not guilty. And he says to me, where are
your accusers? Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's It's God that justifies, who is he that can
condemn? It's Christ that died, yea rather
that's risen again, who's even at the right hand of God, who
also makes intercession for us. Now, Christ is the light of the
world as to how God can say to me when I am guilty, I don't
condemn you. The only way that can be understood
is in the light of the Lord Jesus Christ and the gospel of his
grace. I am the light of the world. He is the light as to
how God can look you all the way through your heart and say,
I do not condemn you. Well, I want to hear that. I
love that hymn. No condemnation. Now I dread. I am my Lord's and he is mine
alive in him, my living hand. and clothed with righteousness
divine. He is the light. Now, he's saying,
you fellows that don't believe me, you don't believe the gospel,
you think it's, or you just give it a cent or something, but you
won't confess me because you don't, you love the praise of
men more than the praise of God. I'm the only light you have as
to how God can save somebody like you. Back to our text in John chapter
12. Isn't it a mercy that the Lord
addresses these men's unbelief? He could have just left them
to themselves, but He delights in mercy. And here He is speaking
to them again. He says in verse 46, I am come
a light into the world, that whosoever believeth in me should
not abide in darkness, the darkness of religion, the darkness of
human wisdom, If any man, verse 47, hear my words and believe
not, I judge him not. For I came not to judge the world,
but to save the world. Now, if any man hear my words
and believe not, I judge him not. Not now at any rate. You
see, I didn't come to condemn men. They already were condemned. I didn't come to condemn. You
already were condemned. You see, we were condemned in
Adam. Didn't scripture teach that?
When Adam sinned, I was condemned. By one man, sin entered the world,
and death by sin. So death passed upon all men,
and that all have sinned. When Adam sinned, I was condemned. Look in Romans 5. I want you
to see this with your own eyes. Make sure this is what the Bible
teaches. Verse 18, therefore, as by the
offense of one that's talking about Adam's sin, judgment came
upon all men to condemnation. Even so, in the same manner,
by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men
to justification by life. For as by one man's disobedience,
many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many
be made righteous. Now, condemnation. I was condemned
by what somebody else did. And somebody in this room is
thinking, how could it possibly be fair for me to be condemned
because of what somebody else did? Anybody thinking that? You don't have to raise your
hands, but I know somebody's thinking that. Now, okay, let's forget about
what Adam did just for a moment. Forget your connection with Adam.
How have you done on your own? Would it be any benefit to you
if you were not condemned for Adam's sin? Would it be any benefit
to you at all? The fact of the matter is, Noah
wouldn't benefit you a bit because you sinned on your own. Just
forget Adam for a moment. You have sinned on your own.
But here's the glory of this. If you can be, this is good news
that you're condemned for Adam's sin for this reason. If you can
be condemned because of what somebody else did, you can also
be justified because of what somebody else did. It's good
news, isn't it? It's glorious news. He said in
verse 47, if any man hear my words and believe not, I judge
him not. I didn't come to condemn the
world. I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. We read in John chapter three,
verse 17, for God sent not his son into the world to condemn
the world. It already was condemned, but that the world through him
might be saved. Now to not believe on him is
to reject the only hope you have. Look in verse 48. He that rejecteth
me. And this is what's involved in
unbelief. It's looking at the Lord Jesus and turning thumbs
down on Him. That's what that means. To reject
Him. It's to see who He is. To see what the Bible says about
Him and say, no, I don't want it. He that rejecteth me and
receiveth not my words. And you can't separate the Lord
from His words, can you? How does he know? By what he
said. His doctrine, his words. He said, the words that I speak
unto you, their spirit and their life. Now, he that rejecteth
me and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him. The
word that I've spoken, the same shall judge him in that last
day. To fail to receive and embrace
what he says is to fail to receive and embrace him and his word,
his gospel will be our judge on that last day. I want to read
an article that Brother Henry Mahan wrote over 20 years ago. And I just ran across it again,
and it will serve to illustrate what I'm trying to say in this
thing of rejecting the Lord. You cut off your only hope. He says the word that I've spoken
unto you, the same shall judge him in the last day. He's talking
about judgment day. Now you listen to this article. I can imagine
the day of judgment. All are gathered before the throne
of God. Those who are robed in the perfect
robe of Christ's righteousness are gathered to his right hand.
The rest wait to hear his voice of condemnation. Depart from
me. Does anyone have anything to
say? If there be one who has no sin, let him step forth and
say so. Come forth, my friend. State
your case. What about the righteousness
and holiness in which you boasted while you were on Earth? Come
forward and tell about your works, your gifts, your denomination. You found so much comfort in
these things once. You who scoffed at substitution. who laughed
at free grace, imputed righteousness and covenant mercies. You're
not laughing now. Why is your face so pale? Why do you tremble? So you never
trembled before, but always had so much confidence in your decision
and boasted of being as sure for heaven as if you're already
there. Why do you not tell God what you did for him on earth?
It's quite evident that he did nothing for you. But I remember
that you once said, God has done all that he could do. And now
salvation's up to you. What a terrible time to discover
what you should have known. Salvation is up the Lord. Not by works of righteousness,
which we have done, but according to his mercy, he saved us. Why
do you not speak? Is it because of the awesome,
infinite holiness of His presence? You clutch your righteous garments
about you and they're nothing but filthy rags now. And you
know it. You think of your prayers, your
religious activities, your debates over doctrine, and they're all
so much rubbish in the light of His presence. And now you're
praying. What is it that you cry? Oh,
rocks and mountains, fall on me and hide me from the face
of Him that sits upon the throne. I wish That you would have cried
for Christ to hide you, cleanse you and govern you. He would
have. Now, how can I have confidence
regarding the Day of Judgment? Turn to 1 John chapter 4. I want
to know how I can have confidence with regard to the Day of Judgment. Verse 17. Herein is our love made perfect
that we may have, what's that next word? Boldness. Confidence in the day of judgment. And there's only one way I can
have confidence in the day of judgment because of what is said
is next. Because as he is, so are we in this world. He's perfect
before God. He's righteous before God. He's
accepted by God as He is. That's me right now. Now if that's
so, and it is, the Word of God declares it, I can actually have
boldness to go before God in judgment. I'm talking about the
thrice holy God. Boldness because of union with
the Lord Jesus Christ. That's how I can have some confidence
for the day of judgment. Now back to our text in John
chapter 12. He that rejecteth me and receiveth
not my words has won the word, the gospel which I've spoken,
the same so judge him in the last day. Verse 49, for I have
not spoken of myself. But the Father which sent me,
He gave me a commandment what I should say and what I should
speak. My words are my Father's words.
My words are His commandment. Look back in verse 47 again.
He says, If any man hear my words and believe not, I judge him
not. For I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.
His words are the Father's words. He came to save sinners. And His words are the words you're
rejecting. You're rejecting the words of
God. To not believe His words or not
to believe the words of God. And this is what makes unbelief
so evil. I think that scripture in Hebrews
10 where it says, He that despised Moses' law died, how? Without mercy. Under two or three
witnesses. of how much sorer punishment,
suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden underfoot
the Son of God, and counted the blood of the covenant wherewith
he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite
to the Spirit of grace." Turn back to John chapter 6. These things, verse 59, these
things said he in the synagogue as he taught in Capernaum. Now
you would be wise and I would be wise to go back and look into
John chapter six to see what the things were he said. You
know, if you want to find what we call the doctrines of grace
in one sermon, all of them right here in John chapter six. He
taught total depravity. No man can come to me except
the Father which has sent me draw him. He taught election.
All that the Father giveth me shall come to me. He taught limited
atonement. This is the will of Him that sent me, that of all
which He hath given me I should lose nothing, but raise it up again
the last day. He taught irresistible grace. Every man that hath heard
and learned of the Father, they come to me. He taught perseverance
of the saints and eating his flesh and drinking his blood.
That's how you continue. You look at John chapter six,
it'd be a blessing to you to look back at that sermon. Never
been a greater sermon ever preached. These things said he in the synagogue,
as he taught in Capernaum, many therefore of his disciples, when
they'd heard this said, this is a hard saying. Harsh. Unsympathetic toward humanity. That's the way they judged it.
We don't like what... This is a hard thing. Who can be expected
to hear such teaching as this? Who can hear it? Verse 61, when
Jesus knowing himself and his disciples murmured at it, he
said unto them, Does this offend you? Are you offended by what
I'm saying? What and if you shall see the Son of Man ascend up
where he was before? Now what our Lord means by that
is If you're offended now, you're really gonna be offended when
you see me in my glory. And the words that I speak are
nothing less than the words of God. Verse 63, it's the spirit that
quickens, the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak unto you,
these words that you call harsh sayings, they're spirit and they're
life. But there are some of you that
believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that
believed not and who should betray him. And he said, therefore said
I unto you that no man can come to me except it were given to
him of my father. From that time, many of his disciples went back
and they walked no more with him. Then said Jesus unto the
12, will you also go away? Not everybody did. And the Lord
is actually saying at this time, here's the door. Lord's not going
to have any unwilling disciples. He's not. If you fellas want
to leave, you can too. There's the door. Then Simon Peter answered him,
Lord, where would we go? Thou hast
the words of eternal life and we believe and are Are you sure that you're saved? Well, I don't know about that,
but I'm sure that he's the Christ. Are you sure of that? I am sure that he is the Christ,
the son of the living God. I'm sure of that. We believe
and are sure that thou art the Christ, the son of the living
God. You know, these words that these people count as hard sayings
are not hard sayings to us. We love what he says. Now back
to our text in John chapter 12. Now you don't believe me, verse
49, I've not spoken of myself, but the father would sit me.
He gave me a commandment, what I should say and what I should
speak. You're rejecting the very word of God. And I know that
his commandment is life everlasting. Whenever I speak, it's his commandment.
It's a divine fiat. It is life everlasting whatsoever. I speak therefore, even as the
father said unto me, so I speak. Now here is our Lord's final
message to unbelief. I want to close by looking at
a verse of scripture in the book of Joshua chapter 24. Verse 14.
Now, therefore, Fear the Lord and serve him in
sincerity and in truth. And put away the gods which your
father served on the other side of the flood and in Egypt and
serve ye the Lord. And if it seemed evil unto you
to serve the Lord, If it seems like you're not going to benefit
any from this, you're going to be persecuted. You don't see
where it's going to, it's just going to make your life more
difficult. If that's the way you look at serving the Lord.
If it seemed evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this
day, whom you will serve, whether the gods, what your father served
that were on the other side of the flood or the gods of the
Amorites and whose land you dwell, choose something else. Now you listen real carefully
what he's not saying. He doesn't say choose to serve the Lord
or choose to serve one of these false gods. That's not what he's
saying at all. I've seen free willers try to
use this passage of scripture to teach free will. See, it's
up to your choice. It's up to your choice. You choose the way
you want to go. But that's not what he says at all. He says,
if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, if you don't see any
benefit in it, hey, you've got a lot of other choices. You can
choose the God of the Amorites, the Hittites. You can serve the
false gods and so on. Go ahead and make the choice
you want to make. You see, for you to not believe, You have
to choose to not believe. You don't choose to believe.
You don't say, well, I'm going to make a choice. I think I'm
going to believe. No, you believe something because it's true.
And you, it's true. I believe. There's no merit in
that. I mean, it's true. But you have to choose to not
believe. It's a rejection of Christ himself. It's a rejection of the truth.
And that's exactly what Joshua says. If it seems evil to you,
fellas, to serve the Lord, go ahead. You got a big smorgasbord.
Choose this God or that God. Go the way you want to go. But
Joshua says, as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. How? by believing. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
and thou shalt be saved. Our Lord gives a final message
to unbelief. Isn't that merciful on his part? believe you're commanded to. Let's pray.